New measures to battle invasive Asian carp

CHICAGO, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The Obama administration says the battle against invasive Asian carp, which have overwhelmed native U.S. fish populations, will get more aggressive this year.

"The 2012 framework will strengthen our defenses against Asian carp, moving even more innovative carp control projects from research into implementation," said John Goss, Asian carp director for the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

New measures could include female fish urine intended to lure male carp to traps, fish toxin distributed inside specially tailored nano-matrices and a large underwater gun meant to deter intrepid carp headed toward the Great Lakes from the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday.

Administration officials said $51.5 million will be allocated to monitor and control the invasive species that has been making a 30-year trek through U.S. rivers toward Lake Michigan.

Sonar will be installed on electric barriers in Chicago canals that connect rivers to the lake for better monitoring of carp, they said, and a gun that shoots a high-energy pulse of water to deter fish was successfully tested last year.

Officials said they expect to field test nano-sized fish toxins to see if specially designed capsules holding the toxin will allow them to selectively kill Asian carp.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today's UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.